San Diego Chargers impending free-agent LB Dwight Freeney said he plans to play next season after considering retirement. Freeney will look to sign with a team that is a contender and has a clear role for him.

San Diego Chargers LB Dwight Freeney (quadriceps) said he has a lot to prove after missing most of last season with a torn quadriceps. "I want to prove that a guy in his 13th year can still ball, can still go out there and play at a high level, and be one of the best out there, still, and have no decline in his abilities, and be able to lead a team," Freeney said.

San Diego Chargers LB Dwight Freeney (quadriceps) did most of his work on the side during minicamp Tuesday, June 17. Despite working on the side in practice, Freeney said he could play now if need be and is ready to prove himself after a quadriceps injury limited him to just four games last year.

San Diego Chargers LB Dwight Freeney has agreed to restructure his contract, which will change his 2014 salary from $3.5 million to $2.5 million. His salary cap figure has gone from $4.75 million to $3,843,750.

San Diego Chargers LB Dwight Freeney said he wants to be able to retire on his own terms and not coming off an injury-plagued season. "I just want to make sure that I end it the right way," Freeney said. "That means that I'm not fighting an injury and limping off the field - making sure that I don't have a bad taste in my mouth." Freeney suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 4 but is under contract for next season.

Some have openly wondered if Indianapolis Colts DL Robert Mathis can be as effective now that his friend and former teammate DE Dwight Freeney (Broncos) has moved on. The team combined to top 20 sacks as a duo five times. He is now playing with a much younger cast, and he is acting as a mentor, too. "There's kind of an age gap, like 10 years or so," Mathis said Monday, July 29. "It's more like big brother-little brother relationship. I just bring them in and show the how Colts football (is)."

San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy is confident in OLB Dwight Freeney. There are concerns that Freeney is out of place if he's not a 4-3 defensive end, but McCoy said the veteran will fit in because San Diego often uses multiple looks on passing downs.

Fantasy Tip: In theory, that would preserve some of Freeney's ability to get to the QB, despite the fact he's 33 years old. Still, there's a bit of fantasy intrigue to San Diego's defense for which you probably won't have to pay a big price.

San Diego Chargers DE Dwight Freeney said he's comfortable in the team's new defense under coordinator Chuck Pagano. Freeney didn't seem comfortable with the Indianapolis Colts in a 3-4 defensive scheme last year, but the Chargers also run a 3-4. "I think the biggest thing was that, he was going to allow me to do a little bit of what I do," said Freeney, who will be used as an edge rusher on the right side. "It wasn't, 'Dwight, here, we're going to take you and put you in this thing and do things that you're not used to doing.' He said, 'You know what, we're going to put you in place to make plays, in familiar places, so that you're comfortable and you can just ball out.'"

Fantasy Tip: Freeney has been in rapid decline the last several seasons, and a change in defensive scheme rendered him largely useless last year, as he had just five sacks. He probably won't be used on an every-down basis in SD, but he could be more productive in limited time if he's getting after opposing quarterbacks consistently. Still, he proabably is only worth a late-round flier in deep IDP leagues.